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Padre Luis de Lezama with his image in handpainted ceramics tiles on a mural at Café de la Iberia in the town of Chinchón, where he was the town priest for many years.
Padre Luis de Lezama Barañano, founder of Grupo Lezama Restaurant and Hotel Group has just died. Ironically, I awoke early this morning and was on my phone reviewing Instagram messages, which I had not checked since before Christmas. I came across a message from a photographer friend of mine, Eric Mencher, who spends a lot of time in Spain. He sent me a photograph of my book Sunset in a Glass, which was on the reading shelf at Luis de Lezama's Taberna del Alabardero in Taberna del Alabardero Madrid. I must have seen the message about the time Luis died. In my book there is an entire chapter on Luis. QDEP.
Chapter 3 The Tavern Keeper Priest of the Bull Bums
“Don’t give them fish; teach them how to fish.”—Padre Luís de Lezama, explaining to his boss, Cardenal Tarancón, why he intended to open a tavern to employ his flock of young aspiring bullfighters, impoverished youths and assorted wayward souls.